Tom Cruise is following in the footsteps of his Beverly Hills neighbor David Beckham by buying a mansion on the island of Malta.

However, the 49-year-old actor has set his estate agents a daunting task, as he wants a living room that measures 2,000sq ft.

The Mission Impossible star has hired Milan property firm Allessandro Proto Consulting, which had helped him find homes in London and Italy, to find a "suitable residence" on the Mediterranean island.

"Tom always wants to buy a new property to his exact -specifications, even if that entails knocking down a few walls," the Daily Express quoted a source as saying.

Apparently, Cruise fell in love with the island last year when he visited Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who were renting Guarena Palace, an 18th-century fortress-like villa in Qrendi, while Pitt was filming World War Z.

The source also revealed that Malta could turn out to be the location for two sci-fi thrillers Cruise is planning to shoot this year, including We Mortals Are.

"Tom likes the idea of having both a vacation home for his family and a permanent working residence in a region noted for its great location backdrops and natural light," the source said.

"He almost certainly wants the living area so it can also be used as a meeting and entertaining room," the source added.

His wife Katie Holmes, 33, and their daughter Suri, six, are also said to have fallen in love with Malta. (ANI)